Fertility rates are dropping persistently worldwide, with environmental toxins like pesticides and air pollution likely playing a key role, according to a study published in Human Reproduction Update. Health experts urged policy action on chemical exposures and barriers to fertility care.
Health researchers from around the world are sounding an alarm on a persistent drop in fertility rates, pointing to environmental pollutants among a wide range of factors that they argue need to be urgently addressed in a paper published Wednesday.
Both male and female reproductive health is deteriorating, especially in industrialized regions, suggesting important roles of environmental factors, such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals and pesticides, the authors of the paper state.
Studies indicate that the global fertility rate is dropping, with 93% of all countries worldwide expected to dip below levels necessary to keep populations from shrinking by 2100.